Whitebark Stream 'Cause I told you my level of concern

@Alsek @Pele
@Grezig is welcome too <3

He dropped the pair of voles outside the opening of the den and plopped down. The food was for Grezig, and he figured she would scent it or be out sometime soon for another reason. In the meantime, he wanted to spend time with the children. He had missed out on enough time with them and was eager to make up for that. The den was dark when looking in from the outside where the sun occasionally peaked around the clouds. He couldn't really tell where they were or what they were doing. He released a few small chuffs, hoping to get their attention and draw them out. They were old enough now that they could move around on shaky legs. He had confidence that they could at least make it to where he was perched in the entrance of the den. He released a few more chuffs before falling silent. He placed his head on his paws then and waited, ears listening intently for the sounds of tiny paws against the soft ground of the den.

alsek had been waiting in the hallway of the den, waiting for something to happen. he heard kavik's chuffs from outside and looked at pele, head tilted to ask if she was willing to follow. then, without waiting, he turned to make his escape.

outside stood their father, two creatures at his feet. alsek didn't know what they were or what to do with them, and so ignored their presence altogether. instead, he walked up to the cloaked man's side to stare expectantly.

pele and grezig are still welcome to join at any time <3

Alsek was the first to emerge from the den. Kavik's tail swayed in response, and when the boy stopped in front of him and offered him an expectant look, he raised an eyebrow and chuckled. He waited a few moments to see if his daughter would be joining but then decided he probably didn't have a huge window of time to keep Alsek's attention. So he scooted forward a little and lowered his head down to nuzzle playfully at his son. His only reason for calling the children out here was to spend time with them, and he figured playing would keep their attention the best. He leaned back a little, his own expression playful and expectant as he waited to see how Alsek would respond to his invitation.

kavik's interest in the thing seemed to disappear, and so alsek's did the same. he looked up at his father, ears folded tightly against his head, and watched the man dip into a play-bow. was he allowed to do that? he remembered grezig shouting the last time he'd tried playing a game with pele.

nervous, alsek offered the extension of a paw and a small woof. his ears were open now, allowing him to hear the much more interesting sounds of nature; trying to remain focused was difficult, to say the least.

Alsek seemed a little nervous and Kavik immediately backed off. He settled completely on the ground and lowered his head to Alsek level, reaching over to offer a gentle touch of his nose to his son's cheek. He wanted to play but not if it scared him. His tail wagged behind him to show his son that he meant no harm and only wanted to play. He knew how to play, right? If not, Kavik would gladly show him. He released small boof and then watched dark pup with a panting smile, his tail wagging with a little more force. Then he slid one paw forward slightly and waited to see if Alsek would get excited and take the bait.

thinking about things, alsek realized that this was probably alright. kavik hadn't (seriously) hurt him before, and if he suddenly decided to change that, grezig would surely come to the boy's rescue. she might not have been the kindest mother, but she did care for her young. 

alsek pounced onto kavik's paw without another thought. he giggled and backed away, then pounced once more, this time with tiny teeth bared. was he allowed to bite? the blackbird released his grip to ensure he didn't overstep.

Kavik watched his wheels turn, wishing he knew what exactly the tiny child was considering. Kavik's grin widened at the sound of his son's laugh, and he watched as he backed up and then propelled himself forward. He felt Alsek's baby teeth against the thick fur of his paw but they were gone just as quickly. He released another boof and playfully threw his head forward and placed it on the ground next to his offered paw. His emerald gaze watched the pup expectantly, waiting to see if he would come back and try again.

alright, well— the blackbird threw caution to the wind and dove headfirst for his father's paw. he moved to latch onto the new toy, holding his jaws tight to counteract any potential protests.

of course, he could only hold on for a short while. after a moment's laugh, alsek released kavik and dashed several steps away in an effort to release the pent-up puppy energy. he looked back with large baby-blues and continued prancing, hoping that his father might give chase.

Needle sharp teeth dug into his paw; the feeling was uncomfortable but not enough for Kavik to do anything about it. He supposed a better parent might have corrected the behavior, but Kavik thought it was too cute to make him stop. So he let him use his paw as a chew toy until suddenly the teeth were gone and a child's laugh filled the space between them. Kavik grinned down at his son, gaze following as he sprinted away. 

When he looked back with what appeared to be an invitation to chase, Kavik lifted himself from the ground and trotted towards Alsek. He could easily catch him, but he wanted this to be more fun for the pup, so he slowed his steps and pretended to just barely reach him, playfully snapping at the air behind him.

hearing kavik's jaws snap directly behind him, alsek shrieked and tucked his tail. he trusted that nothing bad would happen if he kept running, but this time, he added some more speed. the child was obviously smaller than his father; he could fit through tight spaces, like the hollow base of a towering tree.

confident that he couldn't be reached (but still very much reachable), alsek investigated the new hiding place he'd found. his rubbery nose felt against the moist bark, took in the earthy musk; what was this place?